Thursday, June 24, 2010

Tortillas

I found a great recipe for whole wheat tortillas years ago. Whenever I make this recipe, my tortillas are really tough and aren't pliable if cooked too long. So, a neighbor gave me her recipe. I will share both with you and you can play around with them, like I have.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

4 cups whole wheat flour (ground fine)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsp. salt (I use less, 1 tsp. otherwise it tastes like play dough to me, lol)
1 1/2 cup warm water (may need a little more)
1/4 cup cooking oil

Mix all ingredients together to make a pliable dough (cleans sides of mixer). Knead 1 minute. Rest dough for 5 minutes. Form into small balls, roll thin and fry on both sides or use a tortilla press (totally worth it, if you make a lot). They cook very quickly. If you overcook these, they will be crispy tortillas, so only fry each side slightly.

Sprouted Tortillas (by Irene Call) adapted by me :) THESE ARE MY FAVORITE!

3 C. Water
3-4 C. Sprouted wheat (to see how to do this click HERE) Sprout your wheat for only 2 days. Soak for 1 night. Put in sprouter and rinse twice a day, by day two, they are ready to use.
2 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons Flax Seeds (previously ground up, and optional)

Blend well in blender.

4 C. Kamut or Whole Wheat or Spelt
4 C. White flour (I have used all whole wheat and they still turn out well, maybe a little more dense. The white flour makes them lighter.)

Add flour to blender ingredients and mix until it cleans the sides of your mixer. Form into small balls, roll thin, fry on both sides.

*A few notes

1- A Tortilla Press makes a HUGE difference!
2-You may freeze these and they last a few months.

ENJOY!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Long, Slow, Journey

Life with 5 is insane! I haven't really been doing that great with my eating until the last week. I hopped on the scale today and found that I have lost 4 more pounds. It would have been more, if I would have eaten better, but to be honest, I just find myself drowning in days full of cleaning, kids and more. Cutting out sugar is my biggest problem. How can I get through my days without something a little sweet in them?! Well, enough whining, I'm back on track. I'm actually amazed I still lost weight over the last month! I'm not going to rationalize that and give myself permission to be a glutton. No more. I have been ever so religious this week, and I feel okay. The cravings are diminishing somewhat.

So, what am I doing? What is "eating healthy" to me? There are many ways to eat healthy. I prefer to just eat whole grains, protein (meat, beans, eggs), and lots of veggies and eat things in moderation, but sometimes to jump start things I will do something different. For me the easiest way to lose weight is to cut back on my carbs for awhile. So, I am eating chicken, turkey, fish, (once a week) red meat, eggs, all the veggies I want, one handful of nuts a day, and tonz of water. I am limiting my oils, to 1 tablespoon a day. I do add 1/2 a banana in my protein shakes, yes I do drink one a day. So my typical day goes like this...

Breakfast - 2-3 eggs and a spinach parsley shake (sounds gross, but is quite refreshing)

Lunch - Chicken breast with a huge salad, cilantro-lime dressing (homemade)

Snack - 1 handful of nuts, and/or a spinach shake

Dinner - (ground turkey) taco salad. I do have light sour cream and salsa.

Snack - Protein Shake

Usually when I eat this way I can lose about 10 pounds in 2-3 weeks. I am still nursing Ruthie, so I am making sure I get enough calories and supplement Flax Seeds in my shakes and Nutrional Yeast Powder (1 Tablespoon) once a day, to ensure I can continue to breastfeed.

I feel like it is essential to get in protein, for me, because I always experience hair loss after I have my babies and this seems to help it. The only drawback to this way of eating is I do have to cut back on the exercise. I find that I don't have the endurance I need, but I don't do this for long before I add in fruit and grains in moderation. I don't think this is a healthy way to eat for the long term. So, I'll keep you posted on how I do! Feel free to join me!